Confessional
by Del Rion
Summary: Tony is asked to record a video in support of Universal Children's Day. He rambles on for a while – and then proceeds to record one of the greatest confessions of his life. (Part of the "Genius, AI & Bots" series.)


**Story Info**

**Title:** Confessional

**Author:** Del Rion

**Fandom:** Iron Man (MCU)

**Genre:** Drama

**Rating:** M / FRM

**Characters:** J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark (Iron Man). _Also mentioned:_ Edwin Jarvis, Howard Stark.

**Summary:** Tony is asked to record a video in support of Universal Children's Day. He rambles on for a while – and then proceeds to record one of the greatest confessions of his life.  
>Complete. Part of the "Genius, AI &amp; Bots" series.<p>

**Warnings:** Strongly implied sexual abuse of a child (past). Language.

**Disclaimer:** Iron Man and Marvel Cinematic Universe, including characters and everything else, belong to Marvel, Marvel Studios, Jon Favreau, Shane Black, Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. In short: I own nothing; this is pure fiction created to entertain likeminded fans for no profit whatsoever. The author has no affiliation with any of the organizations mentioned in this story, and all events and references are purely fictional.

**Beta:** Mythra (mythras-fire)

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><p><strong>About <strong>**_Confessional_****:** The events depicted in this story are not canon, nor has anything like it been ever implied in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In case someone's wondering: I'm not an expert on child abuse and my research in this area is limited to a few sources I hope are reliable. The facts presented in this story are derived from various sources and may or may not be entirely accurate. (Sources: APA, Childhelp, Compassion, Safe Horizon.)

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><p><strong>Story and status:<strong> Below you see the writing process of the story. If there is no text after the title, then it is finished and checked. Possible updates shall be marked after the title.

**Confessional**

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><p>. . .<p>

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><p><strong>Confessional<strong>

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><p>"Are we set, J?"<p>

_"Almost, sir. Are you satisfied with the angle and lighting?"_

"Yeah, it's good. Uh… Okay, let's do this."

_"Whenever you're ready, sir."_

"Right… Hi. My name is Tony Stark – also known, from time to time, as Iron Man. I have been asked on behalf of UNICEF, Amnesty International and CPS to record a message for this year's Universal Children's Day to raise awareness of the child abuse taking place all over the world.

"I've been asked to do PSAs in the past, though I have found reasons to decline each time – some personal, some idealistic. However, this subject is…

"Let's talk some numbers.

"The estimation of how many children subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse worldwide stands at roughly 300 million a year. For comparison, that number's pretty close to the entire population of the United States of America.

"Over a million children are trafficked worldwide every year – kidnapped, orphaned, sold – ending up in places no child should be, doing work no child should do, including child labor, child soldiers and sex work.

"In the USA alone, over five million children every year fall victim to physical or emotional abuse. Fun facts: a child is more likely to die from violence and neglect than in an accident; every day, more than four children die as a result of such an event – most of them in a domestic environment, at the hands of their own parents. Those who survive are close to ten times as likely to end up in a life of crime and violence in their later years.

"At this point you might think I have a vested interest in all this, to keep the streets clean by telling you to keep your eyes peeled and to take better care of your kids. I shouldn't tell you to do that, but I will, if it makes you feel better about the crap in your lives.

"Another fun fact: nine out of ten sexually abused children know the perpetrator. What precisely does that mean? Most of the offenders are never reported – and I can personally attest to that.

"Most of you would not know this, but my father was a drunk and I rarely got along with him. So, during Christmas vacation in 1977 I was home for the holidays and got into a fight with dear old dad about something trivial while he was entertaining a bunch of guests. I got sent to my room without supper or a goodnight-kiss.

"One of my dad's long-time friends and business partners decided to come cheer me up some time later, bringing chocolate – which was great since I was hungry – but also offering science journals for me to peruse, which was a sure-fire way into my seven-year-old engineer's heart.

"So, while I stuffed my face with chocolate and browsed the newest scientific discoveries, my father's friend unzipped his dress pants, pulled out his cock and asked me to touch it.

"By then I had spent several months at Phillips Academy and had seen the older boys handle themselves, so I figured this had something to do with it, and since this guy was being so nice to me I guessed I should be nice to him in return. It was weird how excited he seemed to be, though, and then he asked me to undress although I had no plans to go to bed just yet…

"Our family butler, Jarvis, walked in just then, bringing me the supper I would have otherwise missed, interrupting the moment. By his reaction I could tell something was wrong; I was a clever boy and realized I had been tricked, which I didn't like.

"I never saw the man again, but I think Jarvis just arranged for me to be elsewhere when he was visiting because I know his business thrived for a few more decades before it was sold to a bigger corporation.

"So, in conclusion, I suppose what I would like to convey is that while this didn't affect _my_ life it doesn't mean it won't affect _someone else's_, irreversibly and irreparably.

"I…"

…

_"Sir? Do you want to go on?"_

"No. Delete the file."

_"Very well, sir."_

"Thanks."

_"Sir?"_

"Yeah?"

_"When you… created me and named me after Edwin Jarvis, did you do so to give yourself a sense of security, thinking I would one day protect you like he did?"_

"Probably. It's… complicated."

_"Either way, sir… I am honored."_

**The End**


End file.
